


Rule Breaker

by shenevereditsherwriting



Series: Newsies! (except longer and gayer) [6]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Era, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Post-Canon, davey is a slut for rules, he tells jack that he does not frankly care about homophobic laws and jack just has to go with it, javid - Freeform, quarantine writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24417466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shenevereditsherwriting/pseuds/shenevereditsherwriting
Summary: David Jacobs knows every rule in the book, just so he can break them. He expresses to Jack that he doesn't care about the homophobic rules hanging over their heads. Sweet moment <3 Short! But cute.
Relationships: Davey Jacobs/Jack Kelly, David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Racetrack Higgins/Albert DaSilva (mentioned)
Series: Newsies! (except longer and gayer) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1521539
Comments: 7
Kudos: 69





	Rule Breaker

David Jacobs knows every rule to every institution he’s involved with. Every single one. 

In school, he learned the handbook cover to cover, paying special attention to the passages that interested him (dress code, homework policy, etc.). He knew when Les was one bad mark away from disaster, and always helped the kid out. He tutored other kids, helping them skirt the rules just enough to avoid getting reprimanded. And when all else failed, he flashed a sweet grin to the teacher in hopes of talking her off a ledge. 

As a newsie, he listened intently to Racer, Boots, Crutchie, JoJo, and even Spot (never Jack) to learn the ways of the streets and newspaper business. He learned the right words to say, where to go, and who to target. He let Jack show him only how to pick the ones with change burning a hole in their pockets. His first night, he went home and studied up on his new boss, Joseph Pulitzer. He learned everything he could about the way that man built an empire on information. He studied the policies of the press with Katherine, and helped her through professional dilemmas. He read every paper, every day.

The day Medda asked him to jump on board as a stage manager, he exceeded all expectations. Davey took notes every meeting and every rehearsal. He quickly got the swing of how to communicate with different parties, learned what the schedule in the theater consisted of, and memorized every script as swiftly as he could. When she decided he could be trusted, she started asking him to stay late and lock up, and he took note of the care with which she replaced every prop, every costume piece, so perfectly. 

Way back before being a strike leader, he learned all the laws he could. He read the constitution, the Bill of Rights, and New York’s state code. He and Sarah used to spend hours upon hours each night quizzing each other. He read the Bible, knew the ten commandments by heart, and studied hard on scripture he thought most important. He learned that much of the writing was horrifically outdated, or simply didn’t make sense. He learned it anyway. 

David Jacobs knows every rule in the book, just so he can break them. 

It’s cold, a sharp winter’s night. The crispness of New York City’s air bit unforgivingly at their noses. Still, they’re knitted together on the roof of Davey’s building. Coats on and fastened tight, they held hands through woolen mittens and talked quietly. To the untrained eye, they might appear as old friends catching up before supper, innocently close to stave off the frost. In truth they were outlaws, hooligans, rule breakers. 

Davey chattered on about the latest gossip from Sarah, but Jack couldn’t hear a thing. He was lost, forsaken, forgotten, in deep brown eyes. He began the impossible task of counting Davey’s eyelashes, starting over every time the boy blinked. Dazed, he stared hopelessly and dreamed of a life far from the chill of the city, a life with David Jacobs soaking up the sun as they talked and laughed and kissed forever. He’d miss the loud streets and ever-present companionship of Manhattan, but he’d have Davey to himself, safe and warm. 

“Jack,” Davey fished him out of his head with a smooth voice and a hand to his cheek. 

Jack hummed, refocusing on those eyes, trying desperately to pay attention this time. 

“I have to tell you something.” 

Jack’s hair stood up. Davey’s easy and carefree tone had faded, leaving stoicism in its place. Jack searched his face, nervous to hear the next words from Davey’s lips. A thousand fears flashed across his mind. _Is he leaving? Is he sick? Is Les okay? What about Sarah? Wait, are we over? Do his parents know? Are they demanding he stop seeing me? Will we get to say goodbye?_

“I love you.” Davey said it not plainly, not excitedly, and not sadly, but rather seriously. He said those words like he was securing a business agreement and needed an excellent closing argument. They rolled off his tongue smoothly but controlled, like they’d been practiced over and over. 

Jack’s head flooded with feelings. On the one hand, _love, Davey loves me,_ he was floating on the joyous high those words brought. On the other, the law was horrifically not on their side. He sharply looked around, panic building in his chest. _Love me? He loves me? Had anyone heard? Is there any chance_ —

“Jack.” Davey grabbed his face with both hands, forcing them to lock eyes. “Did you hear me?” 

Jack nodded frantically. “Davey, David.” Jack lifted his hands to Davey’s heavily clothed waist. His anxiety bubbled over, shaking his words. “You knows that we… some folks think— David this is dangerous.” He wasn’t trying to change Davey’s mind, of course not, but he felt responsible for making sure the boy knew what they were up against. 

Davey simply clicked his tongue. His eyes were fierce, daring the other to talk him out of it. He tightened his grip on Jack’s jaw (as best he could with mittens on). “Jack Kelly, I love you.”

Jack breathed hard, a wide smile draping his face. It was real and golden in the blue air, but his brow stayed crinkled. “I love you. Davey, I love you. I just want to be sure you know—”

“I know. And I love you.” 

Jack shut up and studied Davey’s face. He was serious. This was an honest and genuine declaration. He meant those words with his entire being. He said them as intentionally as he had said “God, Jack, kiss me!” just days earlier in a darkened corner of the city. His voice stayed smooth and clear. Every word was matter-of-fact, old news, casually dropped into the night air. 

David Jacobs was a terrible liar when it came to Jack Kelly. He’d learned to fool most everyone else when needed: he could convince Les that their parents needed him home early, or tell Race and Albert the whole building had heard them just to watch the pair flush scarlet, but Jack saw right through him every time. He looked directly into Davey’s mind, his soul, and knew the inner workings of his honest heart. 

So if David Jacobs said that he loved Jack Kelly, consequences be damned, then Jack Kelly believed him. 

Davey softly tilted his head, challenging Jack’s anxieties. He flicked his gaze back and forth between Jack’s eyes, begging them to see into his heart. The request was answered when Jack suddenly leaned forward, closing the gap between them. Davey relaxed into the quiet moment. Jack was right, it was dangerous, but David couldn’t care. He’d loved Jack Kelly for too many months to name, and the boy deserved to know. They pressed soft lips together and shut out the rest of the world. 

Jack’s heart pulsed hard. Davey’s building was much more exposed than his penthouse atop the lodge. Any of the other residents could climb the fire escape and find them here, skimming the surface of criminal behavior. Anyone on a neighboring rooftop may look over and notice a lack of long hair trailing from below one of their caps. It would be just Jack’s luck to get caught with his fingers clutching tight to the fabric of Davey’s shirt. These fears playing in his head, Jack only let Dave pull him closer. Slowly, one by one, every thought faded from his mind, replaced by the sounds of Davey’s shallow breaths. 

Davey’s strong hands held Jack’s face to his. Of course he knew the risk. He knew the risk when he was eleven and couldn’t even define ‘sodomy’ or ‘buggery’. He knew the risk just this past summer the first time Jack let “Davey” roll off his tongue like the promise of forever. He knew the risk that cool night when he climbed to the roof of the lodge and climbed into Jack’s lap. He knew the risk when he let Jack pull him into an empty alley and frantically unbutton his dress shirt. And Davey Jacobs knew the risk just moments ago when he spoke three words that left him dry-mouthed and sweating. 

They separated breathlessly, and Jack looked sincerely into big brown eyes. “I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> hiiiii! hey so thanks for reading :) be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts because i so dearly love reading what you guys think <3
> 
> if you're interested, you can find me on tumblr at satanssugar where i'm just vibing through quarantine at the moment
> 
> i hope you're all staying safe, smart, and healthy during this time <3
> 
> i love you all!!  
> kels :)


End file.
